Delaware & Raritan Canal State

<br><b>Historical Significance</b><br> Dug by hand, mostly by Irish immigrants, the 66 mile D & R Canal was completed in 1834. 75 feet wide and 8 feet deep, the canal originally had 14 locks to raise and lower boat traffic.<br><br> The D & R Canal operated as an inland waterway between the Delaware and Raritan rivers, primarily transporting Pennsylvania coal to New York via mule drawn canalboats. The busiest years of the D & R Canal were in the decade following the Civil War, when it proved itself to be one of America’s most important canals.<br><br> By 1843 mules were supplemented by steam powered boats. The D & R Canal was used by a great variety of commercial, pleasure and naval vessels. Many locks, spillways, tender’s houses, and other nineteenth century structures remain intact and in use. The entire D & R Canal is on the National Register of Historic Places.<br><br> <b>Corridor of Conservation and Recreation</b><br> Along its route of scenic beauty, the canal offers varied recreation and provides a natural habitat for plants and wildlife. Visitors can enjoy the sights and sounds of the natural world while canoeing, fishing, cycling, walking or horseback riding.<br><br> <b>Water Resource</b><br> After 1932 the D & R Canal no longer provided a through route for vessels. Instead, the water itself became a resource which is of increasing importance to much of central New Jersey.